Telegraph-key.



W. A. BOYD.

TELEGRAPH KEY.

APPLICATION mu) JULY 29. 1914.

Patented July 25, 1916.

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tion of rest before WALTER ANDERSON BOYD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TELEGRAPH-KEY.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Application filed July 29, 1914. Serial No. 853,841.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, lVAL'rnR ANDERSON Born, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraph- Keys, of which the following is a full,,clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to telegraph keys, and more particularly to semi-automatic mechanical telegraph keys.

When making dots with a telegraph key of this type, the vibrator is moved from the position of rest and is maintained in a free position by the operator so that the vibrator may be free to vibrate to cause the engagement and disengagement of the dot forming contacts. The vibrator is maintained in the free position for a length of time depending upon the number of dots to be formed. Now it has been found that there are numerous times when the vibrator is restored to posithe last dot is completely clipping the last dot formed. The clipping of dots is a source of considerable trouble, for it usually means that less dots are received than were sent; in other words, the received letter is different from that sent.

It is the object of this invention, therefore, to produce a telegraph key in the operation of which it is impossible to make clipped dots.

In accordance with this invention there is provided a vibrator controlling the sending out of dots and means operative upon the actuation of said vibrator for insuring the completion of each dot, the sending out of which has been started.

This invention will be more fully understood by reference to the drawings showing one embodiment thereof and wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of a telegraph key; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the telegraph key shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sec tional View on line 33 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 41 is a sectional view on line 1-& of Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawings, the telegraph key comprises a base 5 having an opening 6 therein over which there is placed a plate 7 secured to the base 5 by means of screws 8, 8.

A trunnion bracket 9 is mounted upon the plate 7. An operators L-shaped key lever 10, having insulating finger pieces 11,

formed, thereby moves from left to right and from right to left on a vertical shaft 12 suitably mounted in upper and lower hearings in the bracket 9. I An end of the key lever 10 is provided with a downwardly extending portion 13, which, when the key lever 10 is moved from left to right, engages apin 16 carried by one end of a lever 14 mounted on a shaft 15 suitably mounted in upper and lower hearings in the bracket 9. A flat vertical spring 20 is secured to the other end of lever .1-1 and has attached to its opposite end a vibrating rod or bar 21 carrying a weight 22, which may he slid back and forth thereon and held at any desired point. A spring member 24, carrying at one end two contacts 25, is secured to the free end of and operates with the vibrating bar 21, a spacer 26 being interposed between the spring member 24 and the bar 21. A comparatively rigid backing leaf 27 is provided for the spring member 21. The spring member 24 is mounted parallel to and alongside the vibrating bar 21, and the contact 25 is carried in the plane of vibration of the vibrating bar 21. The spring member 2 1 is tensioned normally in the direction of the vibrating bar 21; In order that the contact 25 may be adjusted and that the spring member 24 may normally rest just against the backing leaf 27 a screw 31 is adjustably mounted in the vibrating bar 21, the forward end of the screw 31 being in engagement with said spring member.

Normally, the lever 14: is held in a biased position against a stop pin 28 carried by an arm 29 of the bracket 9 by means of the expansion of a coiled spring 30, one end of which is in engagement with the lever 14: and the other end with an adjustment screw 35 mounted in a suitable support 36. I screw 37 and a support 88 therefor form a suitable stop for the lever 141 when it is actuated by the key lever 10. A deadener or damper for the vibrating bar 21 consists of a pin 39 adjustably mounted in a support 40 and carries in one end a piece of leather e11 or other suitable damping material. The free end of the spring 2 1 is normally held. at rest against a piece of rubber 42 or other suitable insulating material carried in one end of a screw 43 adjustably mounted. in a support 4 1, the screw d3 passing through an opening 32 in the vibrating bar 21.

A second trunnion bracket 50 is mounted on the plate 7 but insulated therefrom by means of a strip 51 of mica or other suitable insulating material. A lever 52, carrying at one end a contact 58, is mounted on a vertical shaft 54 suitably mounted in upper and lower bearings or trunnion screws 49 held in the bracket 50. The downwardly extending portion 13 of the key lever 10, when said key lever is moved from right to left, engages the insulating tip 55 of a screw 56 adjustably mounted in an upwardly extending portion 57 of an intermediate lever 58 mounted on shoulders 59 formed on the trunnion screws 49.

The expansion ofa coiled spring 64, one end of which is in engagement with an end of the contact-carrying lever 52 and the other end with an adjustment screw 65 mounted in an arm 66 of the bracket 50,

holds the contact-carrying lever 52 in a normal biased position against the end of an adjustment screw 67 carried in one end of the intermediate lever 58. The expansion of the spring 64, through the medium of the contact-carrying lever 52 and the screw 67, also holds the intermediate lever 58 in a normal biased position against a stop pin 68 carried by an arm 69 of the bracket 50.

70 and 71 represent terminals to which the conductors of the telegraph circuit may be attached. In order that the line circuit,-

' to which the telegraph key is connected,

' from normal position, the intermediate lever may be closed when the key is not in use, a circuit-closing lever 72 is pivoted at 74 on an extension 73 of the bracket 50 and is adapted to engage the contact jaws 75 mounted on an extension 76 of the bracket 9. To the lever 14 issecured an arm 80, the free end of which is bent as at 82 and carries an armature 83 of an electromagnet 84 suitably mounted on base 5, A spring 85, secured to base 5 and insulated therefrom by a strip 86, carries at its free end a contact 87 adapted to engage contact 25. The spring 85 may be adjusted by means of a screw 88 carried by the support 44.

The electromagnet 84 is in a normally open local circuit which includes a battery 81, the spring 24, the contacts 25 and 87,

the spring 85 and the windings of the electromagnet 84.

When the key lever is moved to the left 58 is moved away from the stop pin 68, and through the screw 67 moves the contact carrying lever 52, whereby the contact 53 is brought into engagement with contact 25 making a dash,

hen the key lever 10 is moved to the right from normal position, lever 14 isv moved away from the stop pin 28 and against the adjustably mounted stop screw 7 37, the vibrating bar 21 from the stop 41 and the spring 24 from the stop pin 42, whereby the bar 21 is permitted to vibrate, causing the contact 25 to rapidly engage and'disengage contact 53 making a series of dots. Each time when the contact 25 is brought into engagement with contact 53 it will also engage contact 87 closing thereby said normally open circuit which includes the electromagnet 84. The electromagnet 84 will thereupon be energized and attract its armature 83. The arm 80 carrying the armature 3 being secured to the lever 14, said lever 14 will be maintained in its actuated posi-- tion until the vibrating member 21 causes the disengagement of contacts 25 and 87. In this case, the electromagnet' 84 will be denergized and will permit its armature 83 to fall back, allowing thereby the restoration to normal position of lever 14 and the for a length of time sufficient for the forming of a complete dot, the contacts would disengage thereby forming an incomplete or clipped dot. However by utilizing the invention herein described, it is impossible to form clipped dots. For example, should the operator release key lever 10 before a com- This period is deplete dot has been formed by the contacts I 25 and 53, said contacts will be maintained in engagement by the electromagnet 84, until the normal vibration of the vibrator causes disengagement thereof. For when contact 25 engages contact 53, it also engages contact 87 thereby closing the local circuit and energizing the electromagnet 84, which attracts its armature 83 and thereby maintains contacts 25 and 53 in engagement until disengagement of 25 and 87 is caused by the normal vibration of vibrator 21, regardless of the position of the key lever.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telegraph key, a key lever, a lever actuated by said key lever, a vibrator carriedby said lever, a local circuit under the control of said vibrator, and means operable upon the closure of said local circuit to inspring, a local circuit, a contact cotiperating with said first mentioned contact for closing the local circuit, and means included in said local circuit for preventing the sending of clipped dots irrespective of the period of actuation of said key lever.

3. A telegraph key comprising a lever, a vibrator carried thereby, a leaf spring mounted on said vibrator, a contact mounted thereon, contacts cooperating with said first mentioned contact, a local circuit including an electromagnet, said first mentioned contact and one of said cooperating contacts, an armature for said electromagnet carried by said lever, and means for actuating said vibrator to cause said first mentioned contact and said contacts cooperating therewith to engage and disengage in rapid succession causing thereby the simultaneous sending out of dots and the energization and deenergization of said electromagnet.

4. In a telegraph key, a lever, a vibrator carried thereby, a local circuit including an electromagnet, an armature therefor carried by said lever, a key lever for actuating said vibrator, contacts controlled by said vibrator for closing said circuit of said electromagnet and for causing the sending out of dots, the simultaneous opening of said contacts being dependent upon the completion of a vibrating movement of said vibrator.

5. In a telegraph key, a key lever, a vibrator controlled thereby, and electromagnetic means for maintaining said vibrator in its actuated position a suflicient length of time for the completion of a cycle of vibration irrespective of the period of actuation of said key lever.

6. In a telegraph key, a key lever, a vibrator actuated thereby, contacts controlled by said vibrator, engagement of said contacts for a predetermined period effecting the sending out of dots, and a normally open local circuit including an electromagnet closed upon the actuation of said key lever, whereby said electromagnet independently of the release of said key lever insures the engagement of said contacts for the predetermined period.

7. A'telegraph key comprisng a floating key lever movable in two directions, a lever, a vibrator carried thereby, a contact carried by said vibrator, a pair of contacts cooperating simultaneously with said contact, a local circuit including an electromagnet, an armature secured to said lever, the actuation of said key lever in one direction causing the engagement of one of said contacts with said contact during a predetermined period for the sendlng out of dots and the engagement of the other of said contacts with said contact for closing the energizing circuit for said electromagnet, which by attracting said armature insures the closure of said contacts for said predetermined period.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 25th day of July, A. D. 1914.

WALTER ANDERSON BOYD. Witnesses:

J AMES W. FARRELL, WV. F. HOFFMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

